Console communications are used in server systems to send and receive status, control and configuration information. If console communications are sent over a LAN using the TCP/IP protocol, the host processor cards on the LAN must be configured and provided Internet protocol (IP) address information. Console LAN communications cannot be established without having the correct IP settings. Most solutions in the marketplace use a serial, RS232 interface as the path to set up the IP address information. This requires a separate port connection to every host processor card. Using an RS-232 port works okay for a standalone server, but when the server is integrated with many others in a common chassis, a separate cable for each server is difficult to maintain and configure. Alternatively, dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) could be used to get a random address, but this requires that the proper subnet mask be preset. Furthermore, random IP addresses are not appropriate for servers because clients need to know their exact address.
It would be desirable to use a single interface in a server system to provide IP address information to all host processor cards in the server system.